In the Navy

After a full two (or is it three?) years in the advertising field I've been building up my workwear while sticking to my budget. Although my office is pretty lax when it comes dress code I just feel, work, and crush it better when dressed for the part. 

Fake it til you make it right?

There are so many side projects I've undertaken besides decluttering & decorating my apartment, that I really need to stick to a budget while I build out my workwear essentials. Not only that, we're smack dab in the middle of the holiday craze. Sticking to a budget is key if you want to make out of December with your savings account still intact. 

For me, personally, I try my best to get most of holiday shopping done during Cyber Week and now that I'm building out my workwear I kept my eyes peeled for any essentials on mega discount.

One of the stores I've made a pitstop on during that week was Old Navy - they've had my heart since high school thanks to affordable and colorful fleeces. So, after scooping up some sweaters for the fam, I scoped out their site for any workwear basics for myself. Everything was so well-priced that when I hit their "confirm purchase" button I didn't have a heart attack. In the end, I got a few basic turtlenecks, knit sweaters (all in neutral colors), printed trousers, and a pair of culottes.

I am ALL about the culottes after seeing them on my friend OJ and CIGS and definitely wear them more than I've posted on the blog. The pants have a voluminous shape which is all sorts of flattering on my frame. I've paired them with crop tops, fitted bodysuits, and billowy blouses when feeling adventurous. These from Old Navy are pretty thick in fabric for the price, look & feel great. Highly recommend as anyone's culottes starter as they are now listed for $13.97 but make sure to size down.

Sunglasses: Ray-ban  Turtleneck: Old Navy  Pants: Old Navy  Coat: Planet London  Boots: Zara (similar)  Necklace: Custom (make your own here)  Purse: Shana Luther  Lipstick: Cranberry Cream via Clinique

Last time I wore these culottes to the office the temperature dipped a bit so I paired it with a neutral turtleneck and glossy black boots. The total outfit is under $100 which keeps me within budget. Each piece I've scored has ended up becoming a great workwear addition and I'm confident I'll be able to wear them all in more ways than one.

Now, let's chat workwear. What do you consider a must-have?

Photos by Lydia Hudgens.

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Modern Muse

You guys... my pink round sunnies from Asos finally broke. It was a sad day that only I alone experienced.

However it wasn't all bad. Having those round sunnies on repeat (kind of like a test-drive) for an entire year made me realize how much I loved the style. So much so I gave away all my other sunnies on craigslist and saved money by paper-bagging my lunch over the last month.

I saved and decluttered - the boyfriend was in heaven. Lucky me, I also found the exact pair I lusted over on gilt.com - thank you fashion gods!

Sunglasses: The Row via Gilt.com  Top: Equipment  Skirt: ZARA (similar)  Purse: Tory Burch  Wallet: Sakroots  Flats: c/o Aerosoles (similar)  Bracelet: Kenneth Jay Lane  Perfume: Modern Muse Chic  Lipstick: Envious via Estée Lauder's Pure Color Envy

I also went to an Estée Lauder event this week. You know, those mall store events and scored a handful of deluxe samples. Guys, if any major beauty brand ever hosts a mall event near you, go. They practically give everything away for free along with a makeover - it's the best! I absolutely loved the perfume they were promoting and decided to create a look centered around it.

I am no Kendall Jenner but feel that my entire look speaks to the long-wearing floral and ebony scent. It's not too heavy nor light but has all the right oomph to make me stand out from the crowd. Kind of like my outfit: black and white staples with a bold lip and crossbody.

Photos by Victor Cerejo.

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Full Bloom

Remember when I mentioned a few months ago how I was saving up for a few investment pieces? Well here's the Equipment silk shirt and I am straight up in love.

It took me about two months to save up - I even found it for way less on eBay! So ladies, if you're ever looking to add a few designer pieces always shop around. Shopstyle is like the google of shopping and eBay will always surprise you with something wonderful.

And it arrived just in time to clean up real nice for my dear sweet mama. She always been a fan of me in florals - well, anything that makes me look femme basically. Now the question is, can I avoid spilling anything on this shirt with my niece around.

Let's hope so (fingers crossed).

Shirt: Equipment  Skirt: Amour Vert (similar style)  Necklace: Baublebar (similar style)  Purse: Miu Miu  Shoes: c/o Easy Spirit  Lipgloss: Maybelline's Color Elixier in Breathtaking Apricot via PINCHme

I actually wore this entire look to work last week - the weather has been so uh-mazing for bare legs across the island. But, as you can see the mini skirt is a little too mini when combined with heels. I made sure to switch to flats to keep it PG rated around the office.

As soon as happy hour rolled around though - that was an entirely different story. These EasySpirit heels definitely came out to play.

Photos by Lydia Hudgens.

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